Apparatus and method for playing cards with a unique betting format

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for playing a poker game with a unique betting format is disclosed. The card game is somewhat similar to traditional games of poker and, more specifically, to Hold &#39;Em poker. The unique gameplay disclosed herein allows for two specific variations on the traditional gameplay associated with standard Hold &#39;Em. First, one variation of the present invention will incorporate one or more “wild cards” into the game, typically in the form of jokers. These additional cards, when added to the standard  52  card deck of playing cards, can be used to represent any other card in the deck. A second variation of the present invention incorporates at least one additional round of betting into the gameplay. In this version, after the betting on the “river” card has occurred, the next player in turn to bet can choose to “check” or initiate another round of betting. However, if the player wishes to initiate another round of betting, that player must also expose one of their hole cards by turning it face up on the table. Each of the remaining players can then choose to “call” the bet, “raise” the bet, or fold. However, if the other players choose to remain in the game by initiating a bet, or by calling or raising a previous bet, then they must also expose one of their hole cards as well. The initial player and each of the subsequent players may all simply elect to “check” and not initiate a new round of betting which will allow the game to conclude in a fashion similar to standard Hold &#39;Em. Finally, the use of jokers and the additional round of betting may be incorporated into a single preferred embodiment of the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to the field of gaming and more specifically relates to a method of playing cards.

2. Background Art

Five card and seven card poker are games of chance and recreation that almost everyone knows how to play. As a leisure time activity, poker and other card games have fascinated the public for many years. A vast majority of the many developed poker variations use the same basic priority or ranking of winning poker hands (i.e., Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card(s) in a Hand).

In an informal “family type” poker game, each player is dealt a poker hand by the “dealer” who is usually one of the players at the table. Frequently, each player/dealer has the option to choose what type of game (i.e.—five card stud, five card draw, seven card stud, hi-low, Texas Hold 'Em) is played during the deal. This feature is called “dealer's choice.” The player with the highest hand, based on the established priority of poker hands, wins that hand. After a player deals, the deal moves around the table in a clockwise fashion, ensuring that each player gets a turn as dealer. It is also common to introduce wagering into the game through the use of tokens or poker chips that usually, but not necessarily, have a monetary value.

In a conventional cardroom poker game played at a commercial gaming facility, the casino or “house” provides a dealer, the playing cards, the table, the chairs, and, most likely, the gaming chips. Although the house provides the dealer, the dealer is not dealt any cards, nor does the dealer place any wagers. Instead, the dealer shuffles and deals the cards, monitors the betting activity of the players, and controls the overall flow and pace of the game. As compensation, the house typically collects a nominal percentage of each player's bet (the “rake”), or a percentage of the total pot (usually capped). Alternatively, the house may charge each player a set fee per hand or a fee for playing a specified length of time.

Many locations, both within and without the United States, have legalized various forms of gambling. Poker is one of the most popular games of chance and is presently offered in most gaming establishments, such as casinos, that also offer craps, roulette, blackjack, slots, etc. and also in cardrooms which provide for card playing only. Indian casinos and riverboats generally also offer poker, and these venues may or may not offer craps, roulette, slots, etc. The growing popularity of poker, in particular, is evidenced by the significant number of poker tournaments and television events now associated with the game of poker.

One of the more popular conventional forms of live table poker is known colloquially as “Texas Hold 'Em” or just “Hold 'Em.” In this variation, each player at the table is initially dealt two cards, face-down. These cards are generally known as the “hole” cards. After an initial round of betting, where the player's wagers or bets are placed into a central “pot,” the dealer will expose additional communal cards, usually placed in the center of the table for easy viewing by the players. The dealer first deals three face-up communal cards, known as the “flop.” Another round of betting by the players follows, after which the dealer deals a fourth face-up communal card, called the “turn” or “fourth street” card. After a third round of betting, the dealer deals a fifth and final face-up communal card, called the “river” or “fifth street” card. Then, a fourth (final) round of betting occurs. Whenever the dealer deals one or more cards, the dealer may “burn” or remove one or more cards from the deck prior to continuing the deal. The burn card or cards are placed in a special spot on the table. Burn cards are not exposed and play no significant part in the overall betting or strategy of the game and are merely a ritual devised to inhibit cheating. Players may fold at any time during the four rounds of betting.

In addition to the betting, each of the players at the table will often be required to place a small initial bet or “ante” in the center of the table prior to the beginning of each hand. In order to participate in a given hand, each player that desired to be dealt a hand must place their “ante” on the table. Other variations also include the provision for “blind bets,” where one or more of the players are also required to post a “blind” or initial bet prior to the dealer providing any cards to any players. The use of blind bets and the ante ensure that there is always money in the pot and that all players will be required to continue placing money in the pot so that no player can simply sit back and watch the play while the other players participate in the betting. The posting of blind bets usually rotates around the table and the amount of the blind bets typically increases as the game progresses.

The pattern for betting typically allows each player, in turn, to decide whether or not to bet on their hand. This can occur by making an initial bet, by “calling” a prior bet, or by “raising” a prior bet. If no prior bet has been made, a player can choose to pass their opportunity to bet by “checking.” Similar to the progressive nature of the blinds, the responsibility to lead the betting will rotate around the table, hand-by-hand.

After all the hole cards and the communal cards are dealt and turned face-up, each player remaining in the game after the various rounds of betting uses his or her hole cards in conjunction with any three, four, or all of the five common cards to fashion the best poker hand possible. The winning player is determined by the highest ranking poker hand, once again using the standard poker rank as the criterion for comparison. The pot is then awarded to the winning player, or split among two or more winning players possessing hands of equal poker rank. In another variation, the game is played “high-low split,” with the total pot being evenly divided between the player having the highest poker hand and the player having the lowest poker hand.

While there are multiple versions of Hold 'Em poker played around the world today, most of them follow this format or something very similar. In general, if players continue to bet the entire game, the betting ends with a final round after the “turn” or “river” card is exposed by the dealer. This wagering process has been found to be very successful and has been utilized with regularity for many years. Accordingly, most players are very familiar with the betting methodology used to play Hold 'Em poker. Unfortunately, this level of familiarity has also led to a certain amount of dissatisfaction for many players. For many experienced Hold 'Em players, the odds of winning any given hand can be computed with almost mathematical precision, making the game less enjoyable as the game is reduced to a somewhat predictable series of events, based on the statistical probabilities underlying the cards played in a given hand. While bluffing and other strategies can be employed, newer players are often at a distinct disadvantage in these scenarios and will simply “fold” or quit playing the game. Even experienced players, who are used to employing highly involved bluffs and strategies during gameplay will often feel limited by the present constraints of the game. Accordingly, without additional variations on the methodology of playing and betting, the enjoyment of playing card games such as Hold 'Em will continue to be sub-optimal, at least for some players.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and apparatus for playing a poker game with a unique betting format is disclosed. The card game is somewhat similar to traditional poker and, more specifically, to Hold 'Em poker. The unique gameplay disclosed herein allows for two specific variations on the traditional gameplay associated with standard Hold 'Em. First, one variation of the present invention will incorporate one or more “wild cards” into the game, typically in the form of jokers. These additional cards, when added to the standard 52 card deck of playing cards, can be used to represent any other card in the deck. A second variation of the present invention incorporates at least one additional round of betting into the gameplay. In this version, after the betting on the “river” card has occurred, the next player in turn to bet can choose to “check” or initiate another round of betting. However, if the player wishes to initiate another round of betting, that player must also expose one of their hole cards by turning it face up on the table. Each of the remaining players can then choose to “call” the bet, “raise” the bet, or fold. However, if the other players choose to remain in the game by initiating a bet, or by calling or raising a previous bet, then they must also expose one of their hole cards as well. The initial player and each of the subsequent players may all simply elect to “check” and not initiate a new round of betting which will allow the game to conclude in a fashion similar to standard Hold 'Em. Finally, the use of jokers and the additional round of betting may be incorporated into a single preferred embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method and apparatus for playing a poker game with a unique betting format is disclosed. The card game is somewhat similar to traditional games of poker and, more specifically, to Hold 'Em poker. The unique gameplay disclosed herein allows for two specific variations on the traditional gameplay associated with standard Hold 'Em. First, one variation of the present invention will incorporate one or more “wild cards” into the game, typically in the form of jokers. These additional cards, when added to the standard 52 card deck of playing cards, can be used to represent any other card in the deck. A second variation of the present invention incorporates at least one additional round of betting into the gameplay. In this version, after the betting on the “river” card has occurred, the next player in turn to bet can choose to “check” or initiate another round of betting. However, if the player wishes to initiate another round of betting, that player must also expose one of their hole cards by turning it face up on the table. Each of the remaining players can then choose to “call” the bet, “raise” the bet, or fold. However, if the other players choose to remain in the game by initiating a bet, or by calling or raising a previous bet, then they must also expose one of their hole cards as well. The initial player and each of the subsequent players may all simply elect to “check” and not initiate a new round of betting which will allow the game to conclude in a fashion similar to standard Hold 'Em. Finally, the use of jokers and the additional round of betting may be incorporated into a single preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a method 100 for playing a game of cards in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is set forth. As shown in FIG. 1, each card player is dealt one or more hole cards (step 110) to begin the game. The hole cards may be distributed by any means and in any order (i.e., round robin, one card at a time, two cards at a time, etc.) until each player has the requisite number of hole cards.

Next, the dealer will deal at least one community card into the middle part of the gaming surface (step 115). This may be followed by a preliminary round of betting (step 120) after which at least one community card is exposed by the dealer (step 125). In the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, this is followed by another round of betting or wagering by the players (step 130). After this round of betting, and if an additional community card has not yet been exposed, the dealer will once again expose at least one community card (step 125) which will be followed by another round of betting (sep 130). As shown in FIG. 1, the process of exposing community cards followed by betting or wagering (step 125 and step 130) is continued (step 135=“YES”) until all community cards have been exposed (step 135=“NO”).

After all community cards have been exposed (step 135=“YES”), another round of betting or wagering (step 140) may take place. This round of wagering or betting is then followed with yet another round of wagering or betting (step 145), with a critical difference from the previous rounds of wagering or betting. In this round of betting, any player that wishes to make, call, or raise a bet (step 146) must also choose and expose one of his/her hole cards (step 147). This unique betting format, the combination of betting while simultaneously exposing a hole card to remain in the game is not practiced with the standard poker games of the present community. After the exposing of a hole card, another round of betting may ensue (step 150), if desired.

While the order of events described herein is for the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that many subtle variations may exist. For example, the community cards may be dealt prior to the hole cards or, alternatively, some of the community cards may be dealt with the hole cards in an alternating format. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain rounds of betting may be excluded or that additional rounds of betting may be added to the gameplay without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. None of these minor variations depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention and all are contemplated by and incorporated herein.

Due to the multitude of different poker game variations that exist, the preferred embodiment described above is but one of many potential variations. For instance, more or less face-up or face-down cards may be dealt to each separate card area. More or less cards may be dealt to board area 101, and several dealings of cards to board area 101 may be necessary to complete the hands, with the cards being rolled one at time between multiple rounds of betting. The various preferred embodiments of the present invention may be played as five card Hold 'Em, seven card Hold 'Em, etc. Also, players may be given the option to place additional bets at different stages of the game. Various embodiments also contemplate the implementation of various betting limits for one or more rounds of play. The options for most standard poker play may be implemented. This includes the “pot limit” variation and the “fixed bet limit” variation. Other preferred embodiments of the present invention may incorporate the “no limit” option where a player may push in all of their chips in at any time, known as an “all in” bet. The betting limit may be varied from hand to hand and from game to game.

Using yet another poker variation as an example, the house might require players to place initial or “ante” bets before any cards are dealt. Two cards would then be dealt face-down to each player. Players could bet again, and three common cards would then be dealt to the gameplay area. A final betting round would occur before the last two cards are dealt to the board area 101 (actually to turn card area 109 and river card area 110), and the winners, if any, are identified and paid. It is within the scope of the invention to complete each hand, by dealing enough cards to each hand to make appropriate poker hands, versus having the common cards complete the hands. Having common cards, however, reduces the total number of cards used per round and increases the likelihood of multiple winners. This, in turn, will most likely increase both the number of participants and the number of bets placed by the participants.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a game playing environment 200 for conducting gameplay in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. As shown in FIG. 2, a playing surface 205 is used for the game.

Accordingly, in the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, a standard deck of playing cards 240, consisting of 52 cards, will be employed. As with most poker games, these cards are divided into 4 suits, with each suit having 13 ranks (A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2). For at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are also two jokers added to the deck, bringing the total number of cards in deck of playing cards 240 to 54. With these 52 or 54 cards, depending on the specific implementation of the present invention various card games, including Texas Hold 'Em, may be played.

In general, the suits are all of equal value, the ace is the highest card, and the 2 is the lowest card. Although generally used as the highest card in the deck, the ace can also be played as a “1” and used for low straights. The 2 jokers are used as wild cards and may be used in combination with any other cards, including the other joker, to create a player's 5-card hand.

All the options for various embodiments are practically limitless but a detailed description of at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below. To initiate the first hand and for the start of each subsequent hand, all players 210 will generally place an ante in pot 230. The dealer 250 shuffles the 52 card or 54 card deck 240. The dealer “burns” the top card and each player 210 is then dealt, usually in a left-to-right sequence (from the dealer's perspective) a first hole card. The dealer immediately deals a second hole card in the same fashion. After the two hole cards have been dealt to the players, the players will examine their hole cards and a first round of betting can take place. The first player will either bet or check. Each subsequent player at the table must either call the total of all bets made and/or raised prior to them or drop out by “folding” their cards. The betting for first this round will typically have some type of limit.

After the first round of betting, the dealer “burns” the top card of the deck and then places the next 3 cards in the deck face up in the center of the table to become “community cards” 235 for use by all of the players. These three cards are known as the “flop.” A second round of betting is then conducting in a manner similar to the previous round. After this round of betting has concluded, the dealer burns the top card, deals the next community card 235 (the “turn” card) face up by the other three community cards and a third round of betting will ensue. Next, the dealer burns the top card, turns over the fifth community card 235 and a fourth round of betting will ensue with the betting following the previous pattern. To this point in the game, the gameplay is substantially similar to the standard game of Hold 'Em, except for the inclusion of the two jokers or wild cards. In traditional Hold 'Em, this fourth round of betting is typically the last round of betting that occurs before the players reveal their hole cards to the other players, with the best hand taking the pot.

In the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, instead of ending the game at this point, a fifth round of betting (with a limit or perhaps with no limit) will ensue. However, unlike the previous rounds of betting, if a player wishes to do anything other than check or fold, that player must reveal one of their hole cards for the other players to see. Then, a sixth and final round of betting will be conducted. Once again, this can be a no limit betting round or a pot limit betting round or a standard limit round of betting.

Determining the winning hand will follow substantially the same pattern as with traditional poker with the exception that if wild cards (jokers) are included, several minor adjustments can be made. For example, with two wild cards, a five of a kind is a possible winning hand and would, in the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, be the highest hand possible, beating out a royal flush. Five aces would be the highest possible five of a kind hand. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the novel aspects of the present invention allow for highly speculative outcomes with additional opportunities for bluffing and implementing various creative strategies when choosing which hole card to expose during the final rounds of betting. Additionally, the inclusion of one or more wild cards enhances the possibility of a lucky draw, introducing an additional layer of complexity into the game. In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, if a community card 235 is a joker or other “wild” card, then each player remaining in the game must add an additional pre-set amount to the pot.

In the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, a “natural” hand (i.e., one with no wild cards included) will be considered a winning hand over a hand that includes one or more wild cards. So, for example, if two players each have a hand with a three of a kind where the first player has three aces, an eight and a deuce, and the other player has one ace and two wild cards, an eight and a deuce, the players have essentially the same hand. However, in this case, the player with the three aces will be declared the winner. Other preferred embodiments of the present invention it may be decided that the players have tied the hand and, therefore, will split the pot.

Regardless of the number of cards in the deck, including the presence or absence of any wild cards, one of the unique aspects of the present invention includes the requirement of exposing one of the player's hole cards in conjunction with a bet placed by the player after the completion of other rounds of betting. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the unique aspect of showing a hole card in conjunction with a round of betting is not known in card games.

From the foregoing description, it should be appreciated that apparatus and method of the present invention provides significant benefits that would be apparent to one skilled in the art. It is also important to note that although the present invention has been described herein in the context of computer gaming, the various preferred embodiments of the invention are not limited to the arena of computer gaming. Each of the various preferred embodiments of the present invention are equally applicable to other similar environments such as computer-based software for mathematics instruction and training and the like.

Furthermore, while multiple embodiments have been presented in the foregoing description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations in the embodiments exist. For example, it is specifically anticipated that the gameplay of the present invention may be incorporated into an internet game, suitable for deployment on one or more computer systems as a game for amusement and profit. Additionally, other traditional types of games that incorporate hole cards could also be adapted. For example, a “high-low” split game could be incorporated where the high hand and the low hand split the pot at the end.

Lastly, it should be appreciated that the embodiments described herein are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description provides those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the application of the preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, the betting requirement associated with the turning over and exposing a hole card can be implemented in any card game where hole cards are employed. The various preferred embodiments of the present invention are most suitable for those games where more than one hole card is used. In those games where there are multiple hole cards, multiple additional betting rounds can be added where, for each betting round, a player is forced to expose another hold card in order to participate. 

1. A method of playing a card game with a deck of cards, said method comprising the steps of: dealing at least two face down cards from said deck of cards to each of a plurality of card players; dealing at least one community card from said deck of cards; providing at least a first round of wagering in conjunction with said at least two face down cards and/or the at least one community card; and providing at least a second round of wagering wherein at least one of said plurality of card players exposes at least one of their said two face down cards in order to participate in said at least a second round of wagering.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of dealing at least one community card from said deck of cards comprises the step of dealing three community cards from said deck of cards.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said deck of cards comprises a deck of cards containing 54 cards in at least four different suits, including two unsuited wild cards.
 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing at least a third round of wagering after the completion of said at least a second round of wagering, said at least a third round of wagering being conducted by and between at least two of said plurality of card players who have each exposed at least one of their respective hole cards.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of requiring payment of a pre-set amount of money into a communal pot based upon the face-up appearance of a wild card.
 6. A gaming apparatus for conducting a card game, said gaming apparatus comprising: a deck of playing cards, said deck of playing cards comprising a plurality of individual playing cards; a plurality of wagering tokens; and a playing surface, said playing surface being adapted for use in a card game wherein a supplemental betting round requires a bettor to expose at least one hole card in conjunction with a bet.
 7. The gaming apparatus of claim 6 wherein said deck of playing cards comprises a deck of 54 separate playing cards, including two wild cards.
 8. The gaming apparatus of claim 6 wherein said playing surface has been adapted to indicated a location where a payment of a pre-set amount of money is made based upon the face-up appearance of a wild card.
 10. A method of playing a game, said method comprising the steps of: initiating a poker game in substantially the same manner as Texas Hold 'Em; exposing a plurality of community cards; adding an additional betting round after said plurality of community cards have been exposed; and requiring each of a plurality of game players to expose at least one hole card in conjunction with participating in said additional betting round. 